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The performance is nearly perfect and very precise. I watched the video for a few times. I don't know why but the performance don't turn me on at all. But when I finished with the Benson video, I just can't wait to go out to fly my kite !

When I compared the two flying styles, I found the Benson's style very energetic and alive. The kite flies like a bird or it is a real living thing. The Debray style is that the kite flies like a robot and very mechanical looking. Very boring !

M. Debray is flying a competition routine. It's intended to score points and tick off the boxes for what is needed to do well in competition. If it impresses the passer-by then that's lovely but not the aim. At all. Think of it as Technical Freestyle.

Benson's Trick or Treat is messing about. Very good messing about but it's the flyers enjoying themselves, out to impress no-one but themselves.

Plenty of people have stopped competing because what's needed to do well in competition isn't necessarily what they want to fly, long term. This goes back all the way to The Decorators.

It's no problem to favour one approach or the other but an appreciation of both extremes shows a well developed mind

The flying by Tim Benson and company on the Trick or Treat video is amazing, and the production values on the dvd are quite good.

Richard Debray is either flying demo's or competition routines. While they may not be as entertaining as the Benson or Kite house videos, I still get a lot out of them.

I admire Debray's speed control, where he can speed the kite up and slow it down in the same line. He literally explodes into tricks. He will be flying a line, and the next instant he is into a fade.

Typically he will demonstrate any trick he does is not a fluke by repeating it, and using both hands to do it. I also admire how he can change the speed on his tricks. In one video, he started a Jacob's ladder off at normal speed and then slowed it way down.

I always have a number of insights after watching a Debray video. I learned a lot from the Benson trick side of the video. The treat side, while very enjoyable to watch, there is so much happening, that I don't pick up the same insights as a Debray video.

The Debray style is that the kite flies like a robot and very mechanical looking. Very boring !

What do you think ?

I couldn't possibly disagree with you more. Sorry.

There are only a few fliers in the world that are even remotely in the same league as Debray. There's a world of difference between noodling around with a kite and having good stuff just sort of happen, and being able to make it happen on command consistently. I think once a person has tried competition a few times (or watched it a lot), they start to understand the difference.

Yes, that's. This is how everyone is doing in a competition in order to score points in the boxes. But this only reflect the technical side of stunt kite flying with very limited 'Freedom of Expression' .

Besides technical skills, I believed the 'Freedom of Expression' side is extremely important. If this is how a competition works, then it is time to change since it doesn't measurement the true ability of the flyers. It should be like Figure Skating competition. There is a technical program and and freestyle program. The combined scores from both programs will make up the final score.

It is also like painting. There is no doubt that alot of artists have perfect technical skills but without the 'Freedom of Expression' side. He or she will never becoming a true great artist.

Download the Debray.wmv video and see if that inspires you... I'd love to have that kind of control. I enjoy both types of flying. Freestyle is a lot of fun but the technical aspect of flying is what sets you apart from the rest.

There is a technical program and and freestyle program. The combined scores from both programs will make up the final score.

Yes, we have precision and ballet events in "traditional" sport kite competition. Very similar to figure skating. And in Tricks Party, we have compulsories and a ballet program.

Now, do you really think when you're watching a figure skating "freestyle" performance that you're watching something done stream-of-consciousness fashion? You don't think every split second of that is choreographed? Same with kite ballet.

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